One major difference is that a 21-gun salute is typically performed with cannons rather than rifles, and the cannons are fired 21 times rather than three times. While seven rifles shooting three times does equate to 21 shots, it is not the same salute. The three-volley salute we see at military funerals is sometimes mistaken for a 21-gun salute, especially if there are seven members present in the rifle party. This custom originates from the European dynastic wars - battles would cease, and then after the dead and wounded were removed from the battlefield and cared for, three shots were fired into the air to signal that the battle could resume. Taps, the bugle call played at military funerals, is typically played directly following the three-volley salute. The salute is performed by a rifle party from the Honor Guard, usually consisting of three, five, or seven members.ĭuring the salute, the rifle party aims their rifles in a direction over the casket and fires blank cartridges into the air three times in unison. The gun salute that is performed at most military funerals and some police funerals is called a three-volley salute, which represents duty, honor, and country. But many don’t understand how they are performed, the difference between the types of salutes, or why the salutes started in the first place. One thing that is common among many of these funerals, however, is that gun salutes are involved. For those that have never attended an American military funeral, it can be difficult to understand all the different honors and traditions involved.įuneral honors and traditions differ for each member of the military depending on whether the deceased was active duty, retired, or a veteran what rank they were and what branch of the military they served in.
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